Harness frame



July 30, 1940. P. L. SPENCER HARNESS FRAME FiledvJan. 1011939 1% x i/Z2 2 Patented July 30, 1940 UNITED STATES.

HARNESS FRAME Philip L. Spencer, Millbury, Mass., assignor to Watson-Williams Manufacturing Company, Millbury, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 10, 1939, Serial No. 250,178

1 Claim.

This invention relates toharness frames used in looms for shedding the warp to produce a desired pattern in the cloth. More specifically, my invention relates to harness frames in which wire or steel heddles are slidably mounted on heddle bars.

These heddle bars commonly extend through and are secured in the side members of the harness frames, and in wide frames they are additionally secured to the top and bottom frame members at a number of intermediate points, as by center posts or studs fixed in said frame members.

In order toprevent these studs from limiting the free sliding movement of the heddles when aligning themselves with the warp threads, it has been proposed to use double heddle bars, with the inner heddle bars mounted between the side frame members and secured to the regular heddle bars by a plurality of clips or connections, each of which is freely slidable along both the regular heddle bar and the extra or inner heddle bar, thus avoiding all interference withmovement of the heddles along the bars.

My present invention relates to the provision of an improved clip or connection for the described purpose, which may be easily placed in operative position and which may be as easily removed and replaced in the event of breakage and without derangement of the heddles or warp threads.

More specifically, I provide a one-piece clip or connection which is in part resilient, so that it will yield for removal or replacement but will normally retain its assembled relation with both the regular heddle bar and the extra or inner heddle bars.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a partial front elevation of a harness frame embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of one of my improved clips;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation, taken along the line 33 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation, taken along ing through the side members l2 and secured therein by latches I5.

The heddle bars M are also shown as secured to the top and bottom frame members l0 and I I at a plurality of points by center posts or studs I8, fixed in the frame members and having slots or openings through which the heddle bars extend.

I also provide inner heddle bars 20 on which the wire or steel heddles H are slidably mounted, said heddles being commonly provided with eyes at each. end through which the bars 20 are inserted.

The inner bars 20 are connected to the regular heddle bars 14 at a plurality of points by clips or connections 30, one of which is shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. Each clip is preferably made from a single piece of sheet steel, and the lower end of each clip, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, is provided with an upwardly extending projection 3| which defines an inwardly opening slot 32 which slidably receives the inner bar 20.

The upper part of the clip is twisted 90 as shown in the drawing, and the end portion thereof is bent downwardly to form a hook 33, which fits loosely over the heddle bar [4 and which is freely slidable thereon.

The clips 30 arepreferably tempered, so that the upper ends, together with the hooks 33, are slightly resilient. It will be noted that the ends of the hooks are of such contour that the clips cannot be removed laterally from the bars [4 except by applying enough pressure to bend the hooks 33 slightly outward. This pressure may be easily applied by swinging the clip relative to the heddle bar far enough to open the hook by the necessary amount to release it from said heddle bar.

Before swinging the clip, it is obvious that the bar 20 must be removed from the slot 32, as otherwise no swinging movement can take place. Accidental displacement of the clips is thus effectively prevented.

My improved clip is of simple construction and easily manufactured and it is particularly well adapted to its intended purposes. It will be clear from Fig. 4 that the same clip 30 may be used at the bottom of the harness frame as Well as at the top, by mere inversion of the clip.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

In a loom, a clip for connecting double heddle bars comp-rising a single piece of resilient sheet metal twisted to provide two end portions perpendicular to each other, one of said end portions being bent to provide a yielding hook which slidably receives a first heddle bar, and the other end portion having a relatively wide part provided with an inwardly opening slot to slidably receive the second heddle bar, and said hook being normally closed around said first bar sufliciently to prevent accidental displacement of said clip transversely from said first heddle bar but being removable therefrom by the application of external force thereto.

PHILIP L. SPENCER. 

